Biased hinge for equipoising support equipment

Abstract

A support arm having a proximate support arm segment, a distal support arm segment, a hinge system; and at least one rotation limit stop secured to the hinge system to limit the extent of angular motion of the proximate support arm segment, the distal support arm segment or both, with respect to the hinge system. The rotation limit stop includes a first stop component and a second stop component slidable with respect to the first stop component. When the second stop component encounters a contact point on one of the support arm segments, the angular motion of the arm segment with respect to the hinge system is at a maximum. The second stop component can be secured in a plurality of positions with respect to the first stop component by an adjustment component.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A support arm comprising:
 a proximate support arm segment; 
 a distal support arm segment; 
 a hinge system having a hinge body with a proximate end pivotally connected to the proximate support arm segment at a proximate pivot, a distal end pivotally connected to the distal support arm segment at a distal pivot, a first axle disposed in an area between the proximate pivot and the distal pivot, while being closer to the distal pivot than the proximate pivot, and a second axle disposed in the area between the proximate pivot and the distal pivot, while being closer to the proximate pivot than the distal pivot; 
 a proximate spring, wherein a first end of the proximate spring is in contact with the first axle and a second end of the proximate spring is in contact with the proximate support arm segment, thus biasing the range of motion of the proximate support arm segment with respect to the hinge body; and 
 a distal spring, wherein a first end of the distal spring is in contact with the second axle and a second end of the distal spring is in contact with the distal support arm segment, thus biasing the range of motion of the distal support arm segment with respect to the hinge body. 
 
     
     
       2. A method of supporting an object comprising:
 attaching the object to a support arm according to  claim 1 ; and 
 biasing the range of motion of the proximate support arm segment and the distal support arm segment with respect to the hinge body. 
 
     
     
       3. The support arm of  claim 1 , further comprising a mounting barrel assembly for coupling the proximate support arm segment and the distal support arm segment, the mounting barrel assembly including:
 a first mounting barrel and a second mounting barrel longitudinally disposed with one another; 
 a first locking screw and a second locking screw longitudinally disposed with one another, and longitudinally disposed within the first mounting barrel and the second mounting barrel, wherein the locking screws can be driven longitudinally toward or away from one another thereby compressing or separating the mounting barrels; 
 at least one of the first and second mounting barrels having an extension spring disposed at an end open end of that mounting barrel; and 
 wherein upon compression of the first and second mounting barrels toward one another, the mounting barrel assembly can be slidably removed from the support arm segments, thereby disconnecting the support arm segments. 
 
     
     
       4. The support arm of  claim 3  wherein each of the mounting barrels has an extension spring disposed at an open end of it. 
     
     
       5. The support arm of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one rotation limit stop secured to the hinge system to limit the extent of angular motion of the proximate support arm segment, the distal support arm segment or both, with respect to the hinge system. 
     
     
       6. The support arm of  claim 5 , wherein the rotation limit stop is adjustable. 
     
     
       7. The support arm of  claim 6 , wherein the rotation limit stop includes:
 a first stop component; 
 a second stop component slidable with respect to the first stop component; 
 the first stop component secured to the hinge system so the second stop component is slidable to and away from a contact point on one of the proximate support arm segment or the distal support arm segment wherein, when the second stop component encounters the contact point, angular motion of the arm segment with respect to the hinge system is at a maximum; and 
 an adjustment mechanism to secure the second stop component in a plurality of positions with respect to the first stop component. 
 
     
     
       8. The support arm of  claim 7 , wherein the first stop component is hollow and the second stop component is slidable therein. 
     
     
       9. The support arm of  claim 5 , wherein the angular motion is limited to within the range of about 0° to 200°. 
     
     
       10. A method of supporting an object comprising:
 attaching the object to a support arm configured according to  claim 5 ; 
 adjusting the at least one rotation limit stop to limit the extent of angular motion of the proximate support arm segment, the distal support arm segment or both, with respect to the hinge system. 
 
     
     
       11. A support arm comprising:
 a proximate support arm segment; 
 a distal support arm segment; 
 a hinge system having a hinge body with a proximate end pivotally connected to the proximate support arm segment through a proximate hinge pin which establishes a proximate pivot axis, a distal end pivotally connected to the distal support arm segment through a distal hinge pin which establishes a distal pivot axis, a first axle disposed between the proximate pivot axis and the distal pivot axis, while being closer to the distal pivot axis than the proximate pivot axis, and a second axle disposed between the proximate pivot axis and the distal pivot axis, while being closer to the proximate pivot axis than the distal pivot axis; 
 a proximate spring having a first end connected to the first axle and a second end attached to the proximate support arm segment, wherein the proximate spring is configured to bias a range of motion of the proximate support arm segment with respect to the hinge body; and 
 a distal spring having a first end connected to the second axle and a second end attached to the distal support arm segment, wherein the distal spring is configured to bias a range of motion of the distal support arm segment with respect to the hinge body. 
 
     
     
       12. A support arm comprising:
 a proximate support arm segment; 
 a distal support arm segment; 
 a hinge system having a hinge body with a proximate end directly pivotally connected to the proximate support arm segment through a proximate hinge pin which establishes a proximate pivot axis and a distal end directly pivotally connected to the distal support arm segment through a distal hinge pin which establishes a distal pivot axis; 
 a first spring configured to bias a range of motion of the proximate support arm segment with respect to the hinge body, said first spring having a first end directly connected to the proximate support arm segment and a second end directly connected to one of the distal support arm segment and the hinge system, wherein the first end of the first spring is connected at a point further from the second end of the first spring than the proximate pivot axis is from the second end of the first spring when the proximate support arm and hinge body are positioned 180 degrees to one another; and 
 a second spring configured to bias a range of motion of the distal support arm segment with respect to the hinge body, said second spring having a first end directly connected to the distal support arm segment and a second end directly connected to one of the proximate support arm segment and the hinge system, wherein the first end of the second spring is connected at a point further from the second end of the second spring than the distal pivot axis is from the second end of the second spring when the distal support arm and hinge body are positioned 180 degrees to one another. 
 
     
     
       13. The support arm of  claim 12 , wherein the second end of the first spring is directly connected to the distal support arm segment while an intermediate portion of the first spring directly engages the hinge system. 
     
     
       14. The support arm of  claim 12 , wherein the second end of the first spring is directly connected to the distal support arm segment. 
     
     
       15. The support arm of  claim 12 , wherein the second end of the first spring is directly connected to the hinge system at a point closer to the distal pivot axis than the proximate pivot axis, said second spring having a first end directly connected to the distal support arm segment and a second end directly connected to the hinge system at a point closer to the proximate pivot axis than the distal pivot axis.